And King Makes Three
by RobertCop3
Summary: Another fic set in my AU timeline, this one a sequel to "The Start of Something Big." About a week after their first meeting, Mai meets Yuri for drinks at a popular new bar that recently opened, and new friendships are formed after they get to know the bar's owner. My take on the origins of the OG Women Fighters Team.


**And King Makes Three**

by

RobertCop3

This is another fic set in my AU timeline, in which Andy and Mai moved to South Town after Mai gets exiled from her clan. It's a sequel to "The Start of Something Big," and takes place about a week after that. As I said in my preamble to that fic, I'm exploring just how one of the most recognizable teams in King of Fighters got together. Their intro in KoF 94 explains how Women Fighters Team was formed, but not how Mai, Yuri and King all know each other. So I figured I'd take a crack at that story. Hope you all enjoy!

All characters are the property of SNK/Playmore. I don't own them, the video games or the anime.

* * *

**South Town, USA – La Illusion Bar – July 1997**

The yellow cab that pulled up to the curb looked like any other working that night, so at first the people milling outside the bar paid it no mind. Then the back door opened, the passenger emerged, and more than a few heads turned, wondering why a woman who looked that classy was taking public transportation. Surely, she must be some sort of model or actress, and could afford better ways to move around?

At first, Mai Shiranui paid them no mind as she rummaged through her purse for a moment, found some money, and reached back into the cab to give the driver a twenty. "Keep the change," she said sweetly, and blew the man a kiss, nearly making his nose bleed.

"Thank you, miss," he managed to stammer out, and then Mai shut the door. The cabbie nearly caused an accident as he pulled back out into traffic, since he was looking over his shoulder at the buxom beauty, and not watching the road.

Mai tucked her cash back into her purse, shouldered it again, and cast a quick glance around. The building she stood in front of looked venerable, an old world feel of stones and mortar, but for some reason that only seemed to add to its class. There was a lavender awning over the main entrance, and above that was a neon sign attached to the building, the words "La Illusion" spelled out with pink tubing done in a cursive style.

Mai walked towards the main entrance in almost regal strides, earning a few catcalls from those on the sidewalks. Not that she could blame them. She was wearing a strapless black dress with the obligatory display of cleavage (it _was _Mai, after all), and slits up the sides of her short skirt that showed off her toned thighs. She also had a red jacket draped over her shoulders, and a pair of black stiletto heels on her feet. As Mai walked past the men calling out to her, she flashed a coy smile at them, leading them on just long enough, then she raised her right hand, so they could see the glint of the diamond on the engagement ring around her finger.

"Sorry, boys." Mai said in the same tone that she had used on the cabbie. "I'm just here to meet a friend. You'll have to get your kicks somewhere else."

Mai did not look back, but she heard several frustrated groans, as well as the sound of one of the men kicking the side of the building. _Guess that one is literally getting his kicks_, she thought, and couldn't help but giggle out loud. As Mai reached the glass double doors of the entrance, she looked around for her friend.

"You're hard to miss, Mai!" She then heard a familiar voice call. The kunoichi turned and saw Yuri Sakazaki making her way down the sidewalk. Though she wasn't wearing a skirt, Mai was pleased to see that Yuri had at least gone with a pair of tight jeans that accented both the shape of her legs, and her toned posterior. The look was completed by a bright yellow blouse with a neckline that nicely complemented her cleavage. Her long brown hair was done in its usual braid, but this time, it hung down in front of Yuri's left shoulder.

"Yuri!" Mai gave a squeal of delight, and hugged her as she got close. "So glad you made it!" Mai stepped back then, and gave Yuri's outfit another once-over. "You look great, girl! Those jeans really do you justice!"

"Thanks," Yuri said, blushing slightly. If Yuri were meeting Mai for the first time, she might have misconstrued Mai's comments as patronizing, since Mai's figure was so much more voluptuous. But after their last conversation, Yuri knew that the ninja girl was sincere. "You look... really nice, too."

"We are both better than mortal men deserve!" Mai said with a laugh. "Just keep telling yourself that."

"I'll try," Yuri said, and chuckled nervously.

"Come on!" Mai nodded in the direction of the glass doors. "Let's go inside, shall we?"

The first thing that greeted them when they entered was an elegant-looking polished hardwood floor beneath their feet. They weren't sure what kind of wood it was made of, but the track-lighting overhead made it glisten with a mixture of light brown and rose colors. The same wood was used throughout much of the interior, giving the bar a feel that was both earthen, yet warm. Business seemed to be good, as the bar was fairly crowded, with servers dressed in black slacks and pressed white shirts moving through the tables taking orders as rapidly as they could.

As they stood there, a woman with shoulder-length blond hair, dressed in a white shirt and burgundy-colored mini-skirt, with matching knee-high boots and vest, stepped over to them.

"Welcome to La Illusion!" She said to Yuri and Mai in a cheerful voice. "You're welcome to sit anywhere that's empty!"

"Thanks!" Mai said, her own voice just as cheerful. The blond woman nodded, and went off to repeat her message to the people behind the two fighters. Mai leaned in towards Yuri and said: "I wanna see if we can sit close to the bar!"

"Sounds good," Yuri said, and the two of them started through the tables. Whether it was through luck or fate (though afterwards they would decide it was the latter), Mai and Yuri actually managed to find two empty stools at the bar right next to each other. After claiming them, they turned around and looked back out at the bar again, both of them impressed by the décor.

"What do you think so far?" Yuri asked Mai.

"So far, so good," said Mai. "If their food and drinks have as much style as the décor, I may have found a place I can bring Andy on a date! The music's not too loud, he'll love that. And it's bright, he'll love that even more."

"I take it Andy doesn't get out much?"

Mai gave a small shrug. "I've tried to take him out. Shortly after we got here, I found a few clubs that... were my scene, and one night Andy humored me by letting me take him to one, but that turned out be a disaster."

"Sounds like a story," Yuri said with a laugh.

Before Mai could continue, however, they heard a voice from behind them: "Evening, ladies. What can I get you?"

Yuri and Mai turned back towards the bar, and the source of the voice: a well-built looking woman with her blond hair cut short (with enough on top for her bangs to frame her forehead), dressed impeccably in pressed lavender trousers that were tailored to conform to the shape of her long legs, a frilled white shirt buttoned down the front with polished mother-of-pearl buttons, a vest the same color as her slacks, and a gold cummerbund and black bowtie. At least, they were ninety-percent sure she was a woman. Her outfit was tight enough to show off her feminine curves (especially her legs, which looked extremely powerful), but she carried herself with an air that seemed almost masculine.

"Are you the owner?" Mai asked the other woman.

"Guilty," she answered with a nod. "They call me King. And by 'they,' I mean 'me.'"

Mai and Yuri exchanged a glance with each other. "Really?" Yuri asked her. "Just King? No last name?"

"Yeah," King said with a curt nod. "And who says I need a last name? Do Cher and Madonna have one?"

"No," Mai conceded. "And it works for them. So, King, I've read you're a master of mixing. Can you mix me something you think I'll like? I don't even have to know what's in it."

"I'm sure I can," said King. "What sort of booze do you like?"

Mai began ticking off her fingers. "Well, I like Japanese whiskey, I like blush wine, I like sake, usually plum, but warm koshu is also good..."

"Dry wine or fruity?" King's brow was furrowed, as if she were already deep in thought.

"I'd say in between," said Mai.

King stood there thinking for only another split second, then she actually laughed. "For a second there, I thought you had a challenge for me. Well, maybe next time. Don't worry, I've got this." Then she turned to Yuri. "How about you?"

"Oh, um..." For a moment, Yuri was unsure. Then she just said: "I'll have a cosmopolitan."

"Awwww... not feeling adventurous, Yuri?" Mai chided her.

"No," Yuri answered. "I just like cosmos."

"Well, I add an extra ingredient to mine," said King. "I think you'll like it. I just need ID, please. From both of you."

"Well, that's flattering. I like this place more already," Mai said with a giggle as she pulled her passport out of her purse. Yuri thought it was interesting that Mai didn't seem to have a driver's license, but said nothing as she took her own license out of her pocket and presented it to King.

King scrutinized the IDs for a moment. "This looks in order. Shall I start a tab for you ladies?"

"Why not?" Mai said. "I took a cab here, so I'll take a cab back."

"And I can always take a cab home and come back for my car tomorrow, if it comes to that," Yuri said.

"Excellent!" King said as she handed them back their identification. "Just give me a few minutes with those drinks."

After she had punched their names into the register, King set to work. And neither Mai nor Yuri were truly prepared for the spectacle. King did not use any sort of shot-glass or other measurement as she poured ingredients into two different stainless steel Boston cocktail shakers. Her hands were rock-steady, like a surgeon with a scalpel, a painter with an empty canvas, or a concert pianist with a Steinway, pouring out precise amounts in the blink of an eye, using no reference except her eyes and muscle memory.

It was quite a sight, one that had both Mai and Yuri spellbound. Finally, King strained each drink into a chilled martini glass, then presented the glasses to the women, placing them on beer mats that had La Illusion's logo.

"Enjoy!" King said with a nod, and then moved down the bar a few paces to serve someone else.

For a moment, Yuri and Mai were too stunned to lift their glasses. "Did you _see _that?" Yuri asked Mai incredulously.

"I... think so," the ninja girl answered. "What I saw... was pretty damn fast."

"And she measured using just her eyes," Yuri added. Then she shrugged, lifted her glass by the stem, and offered it to Mai. "Well, cheers!"

"Cheers!" Mai said in response, then they clinked and each sipped their drinks. As the first few drops hit her tongue, Mai felt her eyes going wide. She had no idea what was in it, other than a label of Japanese whiskey. But as for the other ingredients... she couldn't place them. It was mellow, with just a hint of fruit, but not sickeningly sweet.

She swallowed and then smacked her lips. "Wow! What did she put in this?"

"That good, huh?" Yuri asked her friend. "I wish I knew what the extra ingredient in mine was. This cosmo just ruined me for all others."

"This girl is definitely an artist," Mai said, and took another sip. "She's got an interesting vibe to her, too. Friendly, yeah, but there's something else to it."

"I've just got the strangest feeling that I know her somehow," said Yuri. "But her face doesn't look familiar."

Mai shrugged. "That's odd. But not unheard of."

Yuri gave a shrug, as well, and then turned to face her friend, eager to talk about other things. "So, Mai... I noticed that you showed King your passport. Do you not have a driver's license yet?"

"No," Mai said with a shake of her head. "I've been here almost a year, so I know I should take driver's ed. Andy has gotten his license, and we found a nice used car, something from the 80s that cost us less than two grand and can get us around the city. But I know it isn't fair for Andy to have to drive all the time. It's just..."

Yuri could sense the hesitation in Mai's voice. "Am I getting too personal?"

The kunoichi gave her a small smile. "No, Yuri, it's fine. What I was gonna say is that... I'm used to either walking or using cabs, buses, or trains to go where I want because Japan has such a great public transit system. I never saw the need to get a license before. But... that's only a half-truth. The whole truth is... I've had a dislike of cars ever since I was a kid, because I lost my parents in a car wreck."

Yuri reached over and gave her friend a pat on the shoulder. "I'm sorry to hear that. I lost my mom in a car accident when I was small, so I know how it feels."

"I'm sorry," said Mai.

"It's okay. I have only vague memories of her, because of... how small I was. My brother remembers her better than I do. These earrings I'm wearing belonged to her." Yuri brought a finger to one of her earlobes, so Mai could better see the bright red stud that was pierced through it.

"Those are cute. It's good to have reminders," Mai said with a nod. "I've had this exact same hairstyle ever since I was nine. I've never cut it short, and I don't think I'm ever going to, because this is how my mother always wore her hair. Makes it feel like she's a part of me, you know?"

Yuri offered Mai her glass again. "Believe me, I know."

The two friends clinked again, and then Mai decided to change the subject. "So, Yuri, not to be pushy, but the deadline for entering the tournament _is_ coming up on us fast. Have you given any more thought to it?"

Yuri gave a small laugh as she sipped her drink. "A _lot _of thought. Lately, it's taken up most of my waking hours. I can think of several reasons why I should just go ahead and do it, but then I can think of several reasons not to. There was a time in my life, shortly after my mom died, that my dad was absent for several years. There's a very real chance that I might become dead to him if he finds out what I've been doing. I don't know if I could stand losing him again. Yeah, he's backwards, but he's the only parent I have left."

Mai nodded solemnly. "Sounds like a long story."

"It is," said Yuri. "But I don't mind telling it. I haven't known you long, Mai, but... you make me feel comfortable. Like it's safe to confide in you."

Mai leaned over and gave Yuri a quick hug. "Thanks, Yuri. That trust means a lot to me. And I feel the same about you."

So Yuri told Mai about how her father had been convinced that his wife's car accident was no accident, but that he had been the intended target. So he'd moved them from Japan to South Town, and then he disappeared for several years, thinking that he was protecting his children by doing so. Yuri and her older brother, Ryo, had been left to fend for themselves, so Ryo had taken it upon himself to run the household and look after Yuri in their father's absence.

"It must have been a hard way to grow up," Mai said. "But it's good that you had someone. I wish I hadn't lost my parents, but I was happy that I still had my grandfather to raise me. If he hadn't been there, I'd probably have gone to stay with one of my great uncles. In which case, I'd be living at the clan's temple in Japan, stuck in an arranged marriage."

"I just wish that Ryo would get it through his head that that part of our life is over," Yuri grumbled. "I'm a grown woman now, and I don't need him or dad being so damn protective all the time."

"I was an only child," said Mai. "Sometimes I wish I had a brother or sister, even if I didn't get along with them. Heck, not having them is probably the reason that I hate seeing other siblings fight."

"I bet if you ever got your wish, you'd regret it after a few hours," Yuri said with a laugh.

It was at that moment that King approached them again. "So, ladies, what did we think of the drinks?" She asked.

"Mine was scrumptious," said Mai. "What was in it?"

"This and that," King said with a dismissive shrug. "If you ever come back here again, just ask for the Mai special and I'll make you the same thing."

"Wow," Mai said, blinking a little more than normal, as her drink was starting to take effect. "You'll remember what was in it? Like, you don't need to write it down?"

King smirked and tapped the side of her head. "All up here."

"Wow, you are a magician!" Mai exclaimed. Then she shook her empty glass at the bartender/owner. "Can I have another Mai special, please?"

"Absolutely." Then King asked Yuri: "How about you? Another cosmo?"

"Any chance you can tell me what the extra ingredient is?" Yuri asked her back.

King flashed her that same smirk that she'd given to Mai. "A magician never reveals their tricks."

"Fair enough. That cosmo was tasty, but this time I'll take a page from Mai's book. Mix me something you think I'll like. And if we're gonna keep drinking, we should probably get something to fortify our systems. What kind of food do you serve?"

"The tasty kind," King responded. "This is gonna sound bad, because I'm the owner, but I still haven't tried everything we serve here. In my defense, I have only basic cooking skills. I prefer to be at the bar where the action is. I've hired an executive chef and a manager to run the kitchen for me, and I've been leaving it in their hands." King motioned over to the girl in the burgundy mini-skirt that had spoken to Mai and Yuri earlier. "Hey, Sally!" She called. "When you get a minute, bring these two a menu, will you?"

The blond bartender then turned her attention back to mixing. Once more, her movements were like a Swiss watchmaker: too fast to see what was going into the shakers, but so precise that not a single ingredient was over or under-poured. In seconds, both Mai and Yuri had fresh drinks resting in front of them. Shortly after that, the girl named Sally came over to them with a menu for them to look at.

"Mmmmm, jalapeno poppers!" Mai said, her eyes lighting up when she saw them listed in the appetizers. "Another thing I fell in love with on one of my past trips to America." She placed an order for those while Yuri decided on a pork belly quesadilla.

After Sally had gone to take their order to the kitchen, Yuri picked up her customized drink and took a sip. "Damn!" She exclaimed. "The Yuri special is awesome!"

"Really?" Mai asked her friend. "Can I try it? I'll let you try mine."

So they each took a sip of each others' drinks, and each made a face after trying them. "That's... a little too sweet," said Mai.

"It beats Japanese whiskey," Yuri said with a shrug, and slid Mai's glass back over to her.

After a few more minutes of small talk, they were interrupted by a guy dressed in black, with too much gel in his hair and also too much cologne.

"Ladies," he said with a nod, the odor of alcohol on his breath unmistakable. Of course, since he'd tried to cover it up with a Tic-tac, it was even worse. "I couldn't help but notice that you two are sitting alone, and I feel like that's a crime, especially when you're so hot!"

Mai turned on her stool slightly to face him, and scratched her chin for a moment. "Yuri," she then asked her friend. "You've lived in this country longer than me, and this question didn't come up in my citizenship test: _is _it a crime for two hot women to sit alone in a bar?"

"Not that I know of," Yuri answered. "But it's also not a crime to act like a total dick, or this guy would be serving life."

Mai giggled a bit at that, but the rude man was too buzzed to register the insult. Instead, he went on: "So, I thought I would do you a favor, and see if you felt like getting lucky tonight." His eyes were fixed on Mai's ample cleavage as he spoke.

Mai looked up at the ceiling for a moment, making the man think she was seriously contemplating it. Then she shook her head and showed him the ring on her right hand. "No, thanks, I'm already lucky. I'm getting married soon to a great guy. He's handsome, sweet, he _doesn't _wear cologne, and don't tell him I said this, because for some reason he hates it when I brag, but: he is a _demon _in bed. So I don't think I could handle any more luck. How about you, Yuri? Do you feel like getting lucky?"

"I'd love to get lucky," replied Yuri. "And I'll consider myself very lucky when this greasy douchebag crawls back onto whatever hole he came out of."

This time, the man did register the insult. "Listen, you little bitch," he growled. "I _always_ get what I want."

"You must really want to be rejected constantly, then," Yuri said, and reached for her drink.

"Why you..." the man started to reach for her wrist, but then Mai cleared her throat. "Yuri, honey, maybe we've been too hasty. Now that I think about it, we _should_ let this guy sit with us. Don't you think?" The man's back was to the kunoichi, so Mai winked at Yuri.

Yuri looked at Mai for a moment, then gave a quick nod of understanding. "You know what? You're right. I'm very sorry, sir. We would _love _for you to join us." The karate girl then got up from her stool and gave the seat a quick pat. "In fact, you can take my seat. That way you can sit between us."

"That's better," the man said with a disgusting smirk as he took the stool. No sooner had he sat down then Yuri kicked the stool out from under him. Without a solid surface under his ass, the man dropped towards the floor, his chin slamming against the surface of the bar. He snarled as he rose to his feet, but Yuri easily dodged his lunge, and countered by slapping him hard across the face with the back of her hand.

He crashed back into the bar, but didn't stay down for long due to his rage. He got up and started towards Yuri again, then stopped when he felt something hard pressing against his throat. Mai was now standing next to Yuri, holding one of her fans up to his neck.

"Fun's over," Mai told the guy. "You should go before you get seriously hurt."

"Everything all right over here?" The three of them turned to the voice behind the bar. King was standing there with her arms folded in front of her breast.

"No," the man started to say. "I wanna call the cops. These women assaulted me."

"Not what I saw," King said with a smirk. "I saw these women acting in self-defense because some drunk asshole was harassing them and would not take 'no' for an answer. And that's exactly what they and I will tell the police if you call them."

"No, it wasn't like that..."

"Don't give me any excuses," King snapped. "Just get back to your table and leave the other customers alone. You harass anyone else, and you're banned for life."

The man looked like he wanted to say something else, but in the end, he turned and slunked off through the tables, cursing under his breath. Mai tucked her fan back inside her dress and sat back down, while Yuri pushed her stool back over to the bar and did the same.

"Nicely handled," Mai told King.

"Speak for yourselves," King shot back.

"See, Yuri?" Mai then said to her friend. "_That's _the type of confidence I'm talking about! Keep working on that, and this guy you like isn't gonna care what size your boobs are. He won't be able to resist you."

"You're probably right," Yuri said as she sipped her drink, though she only sounded half-convinced.

"So, I wasn't gonna say anything at first," King said to the both of them. "But after seeing that... you two are fighters, aren't you?"

"Yup," Yuri answered. "I'm Yuri Sakazaki, this is my friend Mai Shiranui."

"Charmed," King said as she shook their hands. "It's always a pleasure to meet other women who study the arts."

"You too, huh?" Mai remarked. "I should have guessed. You seem to have a strong pair of legs, I can see it even with those slacks on. What do you study?"

"Muay Thai kickboxing, mostly."

"Ah. I have a friend who studies that, too."

King nodded, and then her eyes suddenly opened wider as if in realization. "Wait a sec," she told Mai. "That fan you were using earlier... _now _I recognize you! You're the sensei of that new ninjitsu school that opened a few months ago! I've seen your face in the advertisements!"

"Guilty!" Mai said with a giggle. "I actually met Yuri there a little over a week ago, when she broke in to challenge me to a match."

"I wanted to see what she could do," Yuri explained. "I haven't seen too many other fighters who are women. Turns out she's got some skills."

"You and me both, honey," Mai said. Then she told King: "We went at it for about forty-five minutes, and it ended in a draw."

"Impressive," King told her. She then asked Yuri: "What do you study?"

"Kyokugen-Ryu, my family's karate style," Yuri answered.

"Sakazaki..." King muttered to herself, suddenly recognizing the last name. "Wait, as in Takuma Sakazaki?"

Yuri gave a loud sigh. "Yeah, he's my dad."

"I see..." King said. Yuri then braced herself, expecting to get bombarded with questions about Mr. Karate. Instead, King went on to say: "Would you ladies excuse me? I... have to see to some things. The... cocktail onions need restocking." With that, King turned and started walking a little too briskly towards the entrance to the back rooms.

"What do you think _that_ was all about?" Mai asked as she watched King retreat.

Yuri shrugged. "Probably knew that if she stuck around, she would embarrass both of us with talk of my dad's past 'heroics.'" Yuri made a hand gesture as she used that last word.

Mai gave her friend a pat on the back. "She doesn't seem that shallow, Yuri. Maybe the cocktail onions just really needed to be restocked? Like, an onion emergency or something?"

"I guess," Yuri said, though she didn't sound convinced. A short time later, their food was brought out. A short time after that, King returned with a large jar of cocktail onions. She seemed much more composed than she had been when she'd left them, and didn't bring up Takuma Sakazaki for the rest of the night.

"Sorry about that," she muttered as she stuck the jar out of sight. "The burdens of command, you know."

"Hey, boss, what's with the onions? I just restocked them less than an hour ago."

King turned to the source of the voice, the familiar blond waitress with the burgundy skirt, boots and vest. "Well, um... I... brought some new ones up because I... think the ones you put out... might be tainted, Elizabeth. I've gotten a few complaints." She reached down, picked up the already open jar, and held it out to her employee. "Can you go run these to the dumpster out back, please?"

"Sure." The other woman accepted the jar and started to thread her way through the tables.

"Wait..." said Yuri. "I thought her name was Sally."

King shook her head, pointed to the blond woman over by the entrance doors. "No, that's Sally. And that..." she gestured at the other blond just as Elizabeth was disappearing into the kitchen. "...is her twin sister."

"Wow," said Yuri. "Having identical twins work for you? That must be confusing."

"I manage," King said with a shrug. "So, anyway... how's the food?"

"This is really great!" said Yuri.

King glanced down at her plate. "Ah, the pork belly quesadilla? I've never tried that, since I don't eat meat. But I've never heard anyone say anything bad about it."

"I hope no one's ever said anything bad about these poppers," said Mai. "I'm definitely going to need to bring my fiance, Andy, here for dinner sometime."

"That reminds me, Mai," said Yuri. "What happened when you took Andy to that club? I never heard the end of that story."

Mai laughed. "Oh, right. That. Well, it was a metal club, so there was a mosh pit. He... got a little carried away when I brought him into it, and thought that the people in the pit were actually trying to attack the both of us. Some poor kid bumped into me, and Andy launched into one of his special moves, something he calls a Zan-Ei-Ken, and he almost broke that kid's nose. Needless to say, I haven't gone back to that club since then, and I haven't brought Andy to any other clubs. Which is fine with me. They aren't his scene, and when I go out to one, I can dance on the stage without worrying about Andy getting protective."

"You're... a dancer?" King asked almost hesitantly.

"Not _that _kind of dancer," Mai replied. "I don't take my clothes off or anything. I just ask the manager if they'll let me use the stage for one or two songs, and I'll just get up there and... move with the music. The first time I did it, it was because I went to a club with Andy and he refused to dance with me, so I figured I would stir up the other men in the crowd to try and get Andy to appreciate me. But that night, I found out that I... just really like dancing. And it's also like a form of training, since kunoichi are supposed to be agile and graceful. So it keeps me in practice."

"Training..." Yuri said with a chuckle. "Right."

"So, there was actually a time when your fiance didn't appreciate you?" King asked, clearly not believing it.

"Oh, I could tell you stories." Mai then told them about the night she and Andy had spent together in Baghdad. "So, I pretty much gave him an open invitation to fuck my brains out," she concluded a short time later. "And when faced with a choice between getting into bed with all of this..." - She paused to gesture at herself - "...Or doing push-ups, guess what he chose?"

"No way!" Yuri and King both said at the same time, having guessed the answer to that question.

"Yes way!" Mai said with a nod. "But he's gotten a lot better, so I can laugh about it now. It's actually kind of cute... even after he started treating me better, it still took him several months to finally consummate. For a while, I was worried he might be one of those 'no sex until we're married' types. And the first night he and I made love, after we finished he admitted to me that he'd always _wanted _to sleep with me, but he'd been working through his feelings, and didn't think he had the right to be so intimate unless he knew for sure he was in love with me, otherwise he'd have just felt like he was using me for his own gratification."

"Hm, that's actually kind of sweet," King said.

"Yeah, you found a good one, Mai," added Yuri. "He sounds like a gentleman."

From there, another hour passed by. King mostly worked the bar, but when there was a lull in the customers, she would chat with Yuri and Mai. And the two friends learned some things about the other woman: that she had been studying Muay Thai since she was kid, she had been a college student but needed to drop out after her brother got sick, how even after that was behind her she didn't feel like college was a good fit for her. So she then went on to work as a bouncer at various bars, and was always fascinated with watching the other bartenders mix. Eventually, she found one who taught her some things in their off days, and from there King had gone to school for two weeks to get her bartending license. After that, she sold herself as combination bartender/bouncer, and after moving around to a few jobs, she wound up working here. She'd been at La Illusion for a year when she learned that the owner, who was almost sixty, wanted to sell the place and retire, so King put in a bid using some money she'd saved (though she had to sell her car and take out a bank loan to get the last bit of money she'd needed), and from there she'd managed to turn it into what they saw today.

Mai and Yuri nursed their drinks and told King about their own backgrounds as fighters. After they had finished their second cocktails, they moved over to wine, and also ordered a plate of boneless buffalo wings to split, to slow the alcohol down even more. As King poured Mai's glass of rose, the kunoichi couldn't help but laugh when she noticed that King carried Laurence Blood's wine label. When asked what was so funny, Mai told them both about the time she and Andy had gone to Germany.

"Wow, so you _do _know how much it sucks to get tied up," Yuri remarked after Mai finished the story. King seemed to get uncomfortable after hearing that, and said she had to go replenish the toothpicks, then departed quickly. This time, however, Yuri and Mai were slightly buzzed, so they didn't really notice anything suspicious.

Eventually, when King came back, the subject of conversation moved to the upcoming tournament. "Have you thought about competing, King?" Mai asked the bartender.

"I got an invitation," said King. "But I'm not sure I feel comfortable leaving this place for so long. We're still fairly new."

"Do you not trust your staff to handle things for a few days?" Yuri inquired. "Because they seem to know what they're doing."

"No," King said. "I trust them. It's just... I like this place, you know?"

Mai got the sense that there was another reason King was hesitant, while Yuri, who was feeling pleasant, went on to say: "Well, King, I wish I had a reason like your's. I mean, I don't know if I'm gonna compete either, but that's only because I'm afraid that my dad is gonna kick me to the curb."

Mai noticed that King was growing uncomfortable, like the conversation was turning into an interrogation. "Yuri," the ninja girl said as she reached over and put a hand on her friend's shoulder. "I'm sure another thing that's stopping her is that new rule they have. Maybe King just can't find anyone else to form a team with?"

"Well, yeah, there's that, too," King said quickly.

Just then, one of King's waitresses (Elizabeth) stomped over to the bar, looking ready to kill someone. King immediately straightened up and went into business mode. "Is there a problem?" She asked her server.

"I'll say," growled Elizabeth. She then pointed to one of the tables. "That fucker over there just squeezed my ass as I walked by. _Then _he said if I weren't wearing this skirt, he wouldn't have done it."

King's gaze followed Elizabeth's finger. Mai and Yuri looked over as well. It was the same person who'd accosted Yuri and Mai earlier, seated around a table with a half-dozen other young men, all of whom were laughing and giving their friend high-fives.

"Yeah, this guy," King muttered. "Well, he had his warning. Now it's time to take out the garbage." The blond kickboxer pulled a pair of fingerless leather gloves from her back pocket and slipped them on.

"Should I call the cops?" Elizabeth asked.

"Not yet," King told her. "Wait for my signal. If it comes to that."

Mai and Yuri exchanged a quick glance as King stepped out from behind the bar. "Um, do you..." Mai started to ask.

"Nah, you two enjoy your night," King cut her off. "This is _my_ business. I'll handle this."

The two girls watched King make her way over to the table. Mai focused as best she could on the exchange.

"Can you hear what they're saying?" Yuri asked her friend.

"No, but I can read lips," Mai answered. "Let me concentrate."

Fortunately, King had moved to the other side of the table, giving Mai a clear view of her face. "Evening, sir," she told the skeezy customer. "How is everything? Are you enjoying yourselves?"

"Not really," the man muttered. "There's not a lot of action here."

"I'm sorry to hear that, sir," King said. "Maybe you would do well to leave and look for action somewhere else?"

"Why?" The guy responded, looking confused. "I've struck out so far, but my luck will change."

"That wasn't a suggestion, sir. I'm not asking you to leave. I'm telling you."

This made the man sit up noticeably straighter. "What the fuck? Why?"

"Because you just assaulted my waitress."

"I didn't touch her! Ask any of my buds here!" He gestured to the others seated at the table, who were all nodding.

King did not even turn to look at them. "Well, you'll forgive me if I don't believe you. Especially since you've already gotten one warning about harassment tonight. You were told what would happen if you did it again."

"Okay, you know what? You're just picking on me because you don't like me."

"You're right. I _don't _like you. You're a greasy, sexist asshole who suffers from the delusion that the women of the world owe you something. Well, guess what? We owe you jack shit! Pay your tab and get out! And don't ever let me see you here again. And since your buddies here are the types of people who would lie to protect someone like you, then they're banned, too!"

"Oh, fuck this!" The guy growled, the look in his eyes going from drunk to dangerous in a split-second. He grabbed a beer bottle and smashed it against the edge of the table, breaking it in half. He then lunged at King, trying to ram the jagged end into her gut.

King's movements were as precise as when Mai and Yuri had watched her mix drinks, only this time _much _faster. As the man lunged, King brought her knee up and slammed it into the bottom of his forearm. The bottle flew out of his grip, and she snatched it by the neck in midair, then tossed it over her shoulder into a recycling bin over by the wall.

The man kept coming, and King sidestepped his charge, swinging her leg around as she did and bringing her heel down hard on the small of his back. In the blink of an eye, her other leg then came up and she kicked him in the base of his skull, sending him flying into the wall.

The rest of his friends were now getting to their feet. They were drunk, but they were also angry, which only helped fuel their physical strength and their threshold for pain. King knocked the first of them down with a leg sweep, causing the man to fall backwards and hit his head on the edge of the table. King then ducked a roundhouse from another man and countered with a kick to the face. With her leg still extended, she then proceeded to strike him at least seven more times in under a second with the same foot, moving so fast her leg was a blur. She finished by doing a small hop, bringing her left leg back down to the ground while bringing her right leg up and doing a spinning kick across the man's jaw, sending him crashing back into the table as well.

"Wow," Mai and Yuri said almost in unison, looking briefly at one another and then back at the action in front of them.

"This is nothing," said Elizabeth, watching from the other side of the bar. "Usually, there's twice as many drunk frat guys for her to play with. Must be a slow Saturday."

"This must be a different style of Muay Thai," Mai remarked. "I've never seen Joe do moves like this. He's usually less graceful."

"We should ask her about that," said Yuri.

Back out on the floor, another of greasy-haired asshole's friends was coming at King with a series of haymakers. King slid backwards across the floor, dodging each one of them. For a moment, Yuri and Mai wondered if King could see that the first attacker was trying to force her into another attacker at her back. They were about to shout a warning as King got within range, but then the blond kickboxer shot one leg backwards, bringing her foot into the groin of the man behind her. The same leg then came forward again, her knee slamming into the front man's solar plexus. She then jumped up, brought the toe of her left foot hard into the man's ribs, then with both feet still off the ground, swung her right leg upwards in a somersault kick that caught the man square on his jaw, snapping his head backwards. King did a full three-sixty in mid-air, landing on her feet, then turned her attention back to the man behind her.

She was so focused on him, she didn't notice that greasy-hair had regained his feet and was trying to sneak up behind King with a chair raised over his head. Yuri and Mai noticed, however, and jumped up from their stools.

"Fun's over," Mai said. "Ka-chou-sen!" She launched a fan at greasy-hair, which struck him on his left elbow, causing the whole arm to go numb. He lost his grip on the chair, and it bashed him on the head as he dropped it, bringing him back down to the ground.

"Come on!" Mai said to Yuri. "She needs our help!" Yuri gave a nod, and the two women raced over to the battle that they had been watching moments ago.

King was still working on the same guy, so Mai and Yuri looked for other targets. Another of the drunk frat guys jabbed at Yuri with their own broken bottle. Yuri pivoted her body to avoid it, then disarmed him with a chop to the wrist. She then grabbed his collar with her left hand and started to slap his face repeatedly with her right, moving so fast her hand was a blur. After a flurry of slaps, she finished the move by checking his jaw hard with her elbow, sending him to the floor.

Mai took down another of greasy-hair's friends. She dodged his jabs, then delivered a high kick to his face, swinging her leg up and then bringing her heel down on his head a split-second later. As he was reeling, Mai closed her hands on each side of his head, then did a flip over him, still holding on with her hands. As she came down on the other side of him, she brought her arms back to the front, swinging her opponent around as well and slamming him hard against the floor. He did not get up again.

Soon, the only one left was the greasy-haired asshole who had started the fight. He had somehow broken the leg off his chair, and was wielding it with murder in his eyes.

King faced him calmly, and raised a hand to Yuri and Mai. "He's mine," she told them. The other two women nodded, and stepped back.

King ducked under his first swing, then pivoted to dodge an overhead. Her right leg then came up and slammed into his chin, and she followed this by bringing it back down and slamming her heel against his wrist, disarming him. He cried out in pain and staggered backwards, clutching his hand. "You broke my hand, you bitch!" He yelled at her through clenched teeth.

"That's what you get for playing with the big girls," King spat at him. She gave Elizabeth the signal to dial the cops, and then jumped up, and swung her right leg outwards at her opponent, a burst of chi flame emanating from her foot and striking him square in the chest. "_Venom strike!" _King shouted as she executed the move, taking the drunk man down.

Once King was satisfied that he wasn't getting up, she walked over to Mai and Yuri. "I told you not to get involved!" She snapped at them. Then her expression softened, and she offered them her hand. "But thank you for ignoring me!"

Yuri and Mai laughed, and then exchanged high-fives with the bartender. King then turned to address the rest of the people in the bar. "I apologize for the disturbance, everyone! The police are coming to deal with these troublemakers. For the inconvenience, please enjoy a round on the house." She then smirked and raised a finger. "But one per customer. My staff will know if you're trying to double dip!"

Her announcement was met with applause from the other customers. Things were busy for a while after that. The police came and carted greasy-hair and his friends off to the drunk tank. King, Yuri and Mai all gave their statements about how the men were asked to leave and got violent, which was backed up by most of the other customers. For a while, King was busy filling out drink orders with the rest of her staff. Then, once the excitement had died down, she came over to Mai and Yuri's stools with a bottle of champagne and three flutes.

"I still owe you ladies your free drink," King told them. She then popped the top off the bottle and poured into the glasses, giving one each to Yuri and Mai while she took up the third. "So, what shall we drink to?"

"To teamwork?" Mai asked.

"To taking out the trash?" Yuri offered. This was met with laughter from the other two.

"Those sound good to me," said King. "Salud!" The three ladies clinked and drank their toast.

"Damn, that's good stuff!" Yuri exclaimed after taking a sip.

"Yeah. This is actual champagne from that region of France," King said. "And it's higher end than most of my champagnes. A bottle for your table would normally run you a hundred bucks. But you girls earned it. Thanks for your help."

"You'd have done the same for me, if we were at my dojo and some assholes refused to leave," Mai said.

"Absolutely," King said. "I won't lie. Beating up drunk assholes who think they're God's gift to women and won't take no for an answer is something I'll always enjoy about this job. I mean, why do men think they're such a big deal? They'd be lost without us."

"I agree," said Yuri. "We're more attractive, more creative, have better business sense, and we've been blessed with the ability to put up with their bullshit."

"To a degree," King remarked. "But if they cross that line, they need a reminder of why women are also better fighters."

"I said that not long ago," Mai laughed. "I mean, don't get me wrong: I'm engaged to a truly great guy who completes me, and I'm happy to marry him and someday have babies with him. But I'll admit: women _are_ smarter! We always have been."

Yuri gazed thoughtfully up at the ceiling for a moment. Then she took another sip of champagne and slammed her glass down. "You know what? Fuck it! This isn't just the booze talking: I _am_ competing in King of Fighters. I can kick ass just as good as dad or Ryo, maybe even better! It's about time they learned that!"

"Yes!" Mai gave Yuri a hearty clap on the back. "Atta girl, Yuri! I had a feeling you'd say yes. If you need someone to stand by you when you come clean to your dad, you know I've got your back."

"I appreciate that, Mai, but I'll need to do that alone."

"I understand. Well, if you need a shoulder afterwards, you know where I live. I'll be standing by with wine and chocolate."

Yuri laughed. "Thanks, Mai. But we also have another problem. We need a third member for the team."

Mai's expression turned serious. "I could ask Andy, but I know he has his heart set on teaming up with his brother and with Joe. He's just too timid to admit it, because then he'll feel like he's breaking his promise to me."

"Well," said Yuri, "Why don't we ask King?"

The bartender raised an eyebrow at that. "Me?"

"There's no one else here by that name," Yuri said with a laugh. "What do you say, King? Wanna join up with us? We need three people and you would make three."

For some reason, King still seemed hesitant, though the other two could not imagine why. "You'd... have me on your team?"

"Why do you sound surprised?" Mai asked her. "You're smart, you seem like a good person, and you can fight. But most important, you're a strong, independent woman, and I was just telling Yuri not too long ago that us fighting femmes need to watch out for each other."

"Yeah," Yuri said with a nod. "Didn't you say women make better fighters? Let's prove that by winning the tournament, and reminding the men of the world that they're lucky we exist!"

"Hm," King sipped her drink thoughtfully. "Well, it would be great publicity for the bar, at the very least." She was silent for another moment, then she said: "Okay! I'm in!"

"Yes!" Mai squealed with delight. "We're a team! This is so exciting! And I solved Andy's problem for him!"

"Because we're good at solving men's problems," Yuri quipped.

The three women all had a good laugh at that, and then King topped off their champagne flutes. She raised her glass in a toast and said: "To Team Women Fighters!"

"Hear, hear!" Mai and Yuri echoed, and clinked their glasses to hers.

* * *

_A few hours later..._

Andy Bogard sat on the living room couch of his and Mai's apartment, reading one of Mai's clan scrolls, when he suddenly heard the front door open. "Tadaima!" A familiar, cheerful voice rang out, louder than it should have been for the late hour. He then heard footsteps through the darkened kitchen, followed by a loud bang. "Stupid chair!" The voice grumbled, and then a few seconds later, Mai appeared in the living room doorway, holding her stiletto heels in one hand.

"Hiiiii, An-deeeee!" She said in a sing-song voice. "I can't _wait _to show you this bar sometime! The owner is the _coolest_!"

Andy tried to keep a straight face. Mai didn't come home in this state very often when she went out, so Andy wasn't going to chide her for her excess tonight. Besides, as a ninja, he knew that Mai had learned several effective hangover cures. "Are you okay?" He asked.

Mai straightened up at that. "I'm fine! Who said I was drunk? Because I'm not!"

"I didn't say you were..."

"Well, I'm not!" Mai repeated. Then she took a step forward and wobbled slightly. "Okay, so maybe I'm... _PLEASANTLY _wasted. I didn't get completely shit-faced, because I know we have private classes tomorrow. But I had the best time!" She managed to make her way over to the couch, and plunked down next to her fiance.

Andy turned his attention back to the scroll, but then felt Mai's hand on his knee. "Andy," she said in that cute/sexy voice of hers. "Are you busy?"

He glanced over at Mai, saw the light of lust in her slightly glassy brown eyes. Her hand was also slowly moving from his knee to the inside of his thigh. Andy quickly rolled up the scroll he was reading and put it on the coffee table. "I was," he answered. "But now I'm not."

"Yay!" Mai shouted. "Then take me to bed, you sweet, gorgeous hunk!"

Andy started to get up, then Mai stood, and pushed him back down. "Wait, better idea!" She said. "The door is locked and the curtains are drawn. Just do me right here!" She moved onto Andy's lap, pressing her body close to his, and began to kiss his face and neck.

"You're in a good mood," Andy remarked.

"Uh huh," Mai said with a nod. "I have great news about the tournament! You can team up with Terry and Joe if you want, and you don't have to feel guilty!"

"Really?"

"Yup. I'll explain later. Right now: less talk, more fuck!"

Needless to say, after spending "quality time" with Mai, and hearing her news about the night's events, Andy was in a very good mood as well...

* * *

ADDITIONAL NOTES

So, as most of you know, in the canon KoF timeline, Andy and Mai's reason for being on separate teams is different. Obviously, that reason wouldn't work in my fanfic timeline, since they're engaged and happily in love. So I needed to give them a different dilemma.

And a hundred dollar bottle of champagne is going by 1997 prices. I don't know what that would cost today, but it'd probably be hella-expensive.

Hope you all enjoyed! Feel free to leave a review.


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